THE CUCKOO'S NEST FOLK CLUB

(a non-profit collective promoting traditional & roots folk music in London since 1973)

2024-2025 CONCERT SCHEDULE

Graham Lindsey Trio

(L to R: Paul Mills, Graham Lindsey, Maddy O’Regan)

Saturday, April 26, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Graham Lindsey writes inventive and dynamic Celtic tunes in a centuries-old tradition, and his energetic playing of mandolin, tenor banjo, guitar and more attract audiences and session players alike. His dynamic stage presence as a solo artist is only amplified when playing with other fine musicians, and the energy and joy they have on stage will spill out into the audience, leaving you smiling. His tunes are catchy and will be stuck in your ears for days. Graham has played across Canada and in Sweden too, and several of his tunes have been performed on the Peace Tower Carillon, 53 bells that ring out over Ottawa from Parliament Hill. His debut album TradHead (2019) was nominated in the Instrumental Solo Artist category at the Canadian Folk Music Awards (2020), and the first single, “Fractions” from his second album received the 2021 Songs From the Heart Instrumental Award from Folk Music Ontario. “Graham brings joyful music to his shows. He displays his joy in his writing, performing, and all of his presence on stage. Add his excellent musicianship and his performances draw audiences to him.” - Arthur McGregor, Upper Canada FolkFest.

Maddy O'Regan is an engaging fiddler and songwriter from Ottawa with over 12 years of professional, freelance performing experience! Growing up, she studied classical violin and over the last several years she has been busy recording and performing, and touring within Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. She has performed to large audiences at the RBC Bluesfest and the Manitoulin Island Country Fest but her favourite shows are with smaller audiences, where you can truly revel in the intimacy of the moment (house concerts, weddings, and cafes, etc.) From 2015 to 2021, Maddy was part of the Ottawa folk group, Jessica Pearson and the East Wind. They toured nationally and internationally and recorded an EP and full album. In 2021, they won “Songs from the Heart” from the Folk Music Ontario awards and were also nominated for “Group of The Year” by the Capital Music Awards.

Paul Mills is perhaps best known as the award-winning producer of folk artists such as Stan Rogers, Ron Hynes and children’s entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram. For over fifty years he has been a key figure in the Canadian folk music scene producing close to 200 albums and CDs. But Paul Mills is also an experienced performer! He is an accomplished guitar player and singer with a repertoire consisting of a wide variety of folk and roots-based music – both original and covers. His songs range from side splitting funny to achingly poignant. On stage Paul is assured, musically accomplished and always entertaining! In recognition of his many years of work and accomplishments as a record producer and performer, in June of 2017, Paul was named as a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 2021 Paul was inducted into the London Music Hall of Fame!

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

If you have dinner at The Marienbad Restaurant (519-679-9940), next door to Chaucer’s, prior to the concert, you can reserve your seats for the concert by placing your coats on your choice of chairs prior to the doors opening to the general public.

David Essig

Sunday, May 4, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

David Essig may have started out over fifty years ago as a hired-gun blues guitarist and mandolin player from rural Ontario, but today he’s best known as one of Canada’s most enduring and literate musical story-tellers - a roots songwriter with a difference. With his authentic voice that bridges the blues and country traditions, David performs his original, guitar-driven songs with the narrative precision of a fiction author - which, in fact, he is. David’s recent live album comes from a solo concert in 2018 at the historic Queens Hotel in Dunnville, Ontario. The album contains 14 songs, including 12 of David's originals - from classics like High Ground, to recent songs like Motel as Metaphor.

In addition to his 23 albums of original music, David has published a novel, Dancing Hand, (2013) and a collection of short stories, Fair Days (2022) - a unique project, consisting of 13 stories, all based on narratives in songs he has written. The book comes with an album of new studio recordings of all 13 of the songs that inspired the stories. David is currently working on a second collection of new short stories based on his songs. Last Stop on the Train is slated for release in late 2025.

For concert and festival performances in 2025, David is focusing on his role as a musical storyteller while channeling some serious inner Elmore (James) with his Delta-style slide guitar.

While many members of David’s audience are listeners who’ve followed his narrative trajectory for decades, others are young guitar fans who sit in the front rows, taking notes. To these kids, David smiles and says, “Come for the guitar but stay for the stories.” And the kids do listen. As one 12-year-old commented recently as he watched David’s soundcheck: “The dude can shred.”

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

Alan Reid

(founding member of Scotland’s Battlefield Band)

Sunday, May 25, 2025 – 7:30 pm

(Doors at 7:00 pm)

Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling Street, London

$25 Advance / $30 at the Door

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online

Glasgow born Alan Reid has been taking Scottish folk music all over the world since 1975. He joined the fledgling Battlefield Band in 1969 while studying at Strathclyde University and subsequently toured and recorded almost 30 albums with this hard-working and enduring band up until 2010, in that time garnering a reputation for his playing and his singing. His groundbreaking keyboard work along with his story-style songwriting and sensitive renditions of traditional song helped cement the band’s reputation as one of the most influential Celtic bands of its generation. With the band Alan toured the world, bringing Scottish traditional music to audiences in five continents and playing in many prestigious music festivals and venues. In 2009 he was nominated in the Scots Traditions Awards in the ‘Composer of the Year’ category. Along with former Battlefield Band colleagues he was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in November 2016 in recognition of their contribution to Scots traditional music.

From achingly beautiful ballads (like The Riccarton Tollman’s Daughter and The Pleasure will be Mine) to an entire musical cycle centered on the life and times of Scots native John Paul Jones, Alan has long fostered a reputation for songs in English and Scots that are strong in melody and historical content.

In recent years Alan has taught Scots Song at the prestigious annual “Swannanoa Gathering” in North Carolina, USA. He was also a guest artist in the Linn Records mammoth 12 CD recording of the songs of Robert Burns, Scotland’s beloved National Poet, whose poems, songs and music have endured over the centuries. As well as the recordings with Battlefield Band and with Rob Van Sante, Alan has released two solo albums, The Sunlit Eye and Recollection.

"A master storyteller in song" - Hylton Arts Center, Manassas VA

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

The Marienbad Restaurant is open for dinner on concert days.

Concert day diners can reserve their seats in Chaucer’s prior to doors opening.

Make your reservation by calling 519-679-9942

All concerts at begin at 7:30 pm and most are held at Chaucer's, 122 Carling Street, London, ON
(unless otherwise indicated)

Advance tickets can be purchased during the season at
Chaucer's/Marienbad Restaurant, Grooves (Wortley Village),

Long & McQuade North (Fanshawe Park Rd W) and online.

For Information call 519-319-5847 or e-mail folk@iandavies.com

Special Advance “5-for-4” Multi-Ticket is available for $100 only at the Concerts
(pay for 4 concerts and get the 5^th one free)

Map to Chaucer's (click here)

We continue to be a completely volunteer run organization. We thank you for your support of live music and look forward to seeing you at the concerts. – Ian Davies, Artistic Director.

What’s happened so far in the 2024-25 Season

TALISK - Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024

at Rum Runners, London